House of Ashes [Complete]

13. Enigma | معمہ

Asmara's laugh reverberated through the library as she held her stomach in hilarity and Safa stared at her in disbelief. It was after school hours so the grouchy superintendent wasn't there to make them respect the books or throw them out for interrupting others' peace or whatever they'd be doing.

"So you're telling me, Azlan apologized to you? Azlan Shehryar?" Her pearly teeth glinted under the shimmering dim lights as she arched a perfect eyebrow.

"I guess that's exactly what I told you. Why the hell are you laughing so hard?" She swiveled her eyes, riling up while Asmara bent on her stomach from where she was sitting beside her on the sofa.

"If you laugh one more time, I swear I'll throw this hot coffee right on your face, alright?" She snapped as she went for her coffee and Asmara stopped her, holding her hands in front of her in defense, all the while floundering against her perpetual guffaws.

"I'm sorry. It's just a bit hard to believe," she expounded as she fixed her dupatta back around her shoulders. "I mean it's like me giving you biryani and you saying coffee is the best beverage in the universe."

"That doesn't make any sense." Safa analyzed her with her aggravated gaze, completely sure she had lost her sanity.

"Exactly, my point!" She let out between her giggles.

"When I'm telling you he apologized then why the hell are you so hell bent on proving he didn't?" She lashed out, just an inch away from punching Asmara's reddening face.

Safa's chafed tone halted her as she stared at her. "So you're telling me you're not joking? That Azlan Shehryar really and in complete awareness of his senses apologized to you?" She inquired as her forehead creased from the middle.

"Of course I am, you clown," she seethed.

"See? I told you he's so dreamy. You hate him for no reason at all," she chirped dreamingly and Safa goggled at her as her eyes twinkled at the sudden shift of party with incredulity.

"O behen, tumhara koi deen iman hai k nahi? (Hey sister, do you have any religion or peace?)" She said and Asmara scrunched her nose before resuming back to her book.

******

"Rahim said you called me?" Safa intertwined her hands as she trudged inside his office.

Azlan, who apparently looked quite busy under the pool of his paperwork, looked up as his jaws hardened to his chiseled cheekbones, the daze in his eyes insinuating to slight ire.

Uh-oh! That doesn't look good. Looks like the Nagini in him is back. Ugh! This is actually getting so boring now. I actually do feel like stuck in an ITV show where the girl keeps on getting insulted by her grumbly and sulky boss until he falls in love with her.

Wait... whaaaaaaaat? Oh My Gosh! Is he gonna fall in love with me? No way! It'd be a cold day in hell if we get married. I mean imagine the breaking news the very next morning of our wedding day: A grim-groom-reaper murdered his innocent wife just because she forgot to put sugar in his tea.

Although, I doubt if we'd even make it to the morning. I believe he'd kill me the very night. OML, this monster!

"Ms. HAYAT, I'M ASKING YOU SOMETHING!" He roared like an untamed lion, breaking her out of her delusion.

"Uh... sorry! What?" She stuttered.

"I said I asked you to make posters for the drive. Where are they?" His nose flared as his Adam's apple jutted out.

"I made them but-"

Her words halted on her lips as he intervened.

"Great! These Buts and Ifs again," he sang as he gave his head a slight shake.

"Sir, at least listen to me. I..."

"Listen to what, hun? Your lame excuses? Look, Ms. Hayat, if you're not serious for this job then tell me. I can find another teacher. I'm sure there are ample of them..." Abruptly, he stopped as he watched Safa striding towards the mahogany book shelf.

Retrieving a carton tape from the second compartment, she strolled towards Azlan, cut the tape with her teeth and stuck it on his lips.

"Now listen to me, you unstoppable machine gun," she retorted while he clenched his hands into taut fists at her unexpectedly immature act, his veins obtruding out of his tanned forearms, white sleeves rolled up to elbows.

"I was making the posters but then this kid fainted in the ground so I had to go and check up on him. Then, you called me to your office and asked me to bathe in the rain and oh, I fainted, too. Now, I know you're not a medical grad but I believe you have enough common sense to comprehend that one can't make posters while they're unconscious. Then, I was taken to the hospital and was advised for bed rest for a few days. So, unfortunately, I did not have any time to play your unpaid servant."

She lashed out with rage infused in every part of her frail body while looking straight into his orbs. "Oh... and wait I forgot to add 'douche' in the end. So yeah, that's pretty much it."

"Wwhhh..." He tried to speak, completely forgotten about the tape and a suppressed chuckle escaped Safa's thin cherry lips before he removed the tape.

"What? Who fainted?" His countenance dripped with worry and distress as a somber look descended upon his gruesome eyes.

And there, she told him everything.

"What the heck? That is so sick. I'm not letting him stay with that douche," he retaliated as he whizzed towards the door but Safa stood in front of him like a wall.

"What are you gonna do?" She was terrified by the way his eyes were glimmering.

She was seeing them from this close for the very first time and they only sent electrical signals down her body. There was storm in them, raging to unleash. An enigma submerged with an unknown fury. There was hurt. There were unrecognizable emotions. A chasm with excruciatingly smoldering fire.

The intensity in those two obsidian orbs rattled her entire torso as shivers ran down her constricting spine. There was something so dark in them that she couldn't fathom. Something so painfully agonizing. They were dark woods in the middle of nowhere.

What she had told him was affecting him more than it did her. But why? Why was he so furious? Why was it affecting him so much?

******

A/N

Two updates in a day. Hmmm! I'm getting back to my schedule.

Well, in all honestly, I don't think I'll be able to update for a couple more days since it's Eid. However; I'll try my best to give one at the most, tomorrow, but I don't think I'll be able to. Well, let's just see what happens.

Eid Mubarak in advance! I hope y'all have an amazing one. Don't forget to buy yourself a carton of tissue boxes for the tear fest at the sacrifice before you do the BBQ. xD

PS: Is it just me or the English translaion of that Urdu dialogue is actaully quite funny?

Vote and Comment <3.